LIFEGUARD TRAINING
Ongoing Training
Why Ongoing Training is Important
Ongoing Training Basics
Below are some general recommendations when providing ongoing training to your guards:
Breakup Training
Every lifeguard should receive at least 2-4 hours a month of realistic, skill-based training. While 2-4 hours a month may sound intimidating to achieve, it can be broken up throughout the month, rather than given in one single period. Below are some strategies for incorporating training into your everyday practice:
- If you operate a larger pool with a lot of staff, consider the following:
- When you have down guards, use that time for training purposes
- Run drills during regular operating hours, this can count towards a guard’s hours
- If you operate a smaller pool with not a lot of staff, consider the following:
- Ask staff to come in early before their shift
- If you ever have a safety break, pool shut down, or no swimmers in the pool, run a quick training during that time
- If you operate in a camp setting, consider the following:
- Utilize mornings to run drills, before programming starts for the day
- Train lifeguards on the weekends, when campers are not present
- Plan training topics well in advance so, if you have extra time or there is a slow time, you can run a training/drill. These could be 15-minute trainings that are realistic and hands-on.
Skill Focused
When determining the topics and skills that you will practice during training, it is important to keep them skills-based. For example, focusing solely on fitness during your training—when an aquatic event will likely never require a lifeguard to swim distance—is not the best skill to practice continually. Review the data you have collected from audits to look for insights, and narrow down what skills would be valuable for your team to include in trainings.
Realistic
Lifeguards need to know what to expect—and how they might feel—if an aquatic event were to happen. Therefore, it is critical that all training is realistic, and gives guards the opportunity to have hands-on exercises with real human bodies. All rescues and on-deck care should also be realistic to your staffing structure. For example, if you ever have only one guard on duty, the guards should be practicing how to remove and provide care to someone by themselves.
In our 2022 State of Aquatics webinar Tonya Roy, Chief Consulting Officer, discussed the analogy between practicing the skills to drive, and practicing the skills to make an aquatics rescue:
Multiple Times
Offer multiple opportunities to attend training, so all guards have the chance to participate. Develop a make-up plan for anyone who is unable to attend, and don’t allow them on the schedule until they have completed their training.
Documentation
Thoroughly document all training to know what lifeguards are due for training. This will also help you gauge whether more training, remediation, or dismissal from lifeguard duties may be necessary for lifeguards who fail an exercise.
Important Elements of a Training
Below are the elements we encourage you to include in every training.
Team Building Activity: Give time for staff to socialize and get to know each other. This will build a stronger team, help staff feel appreciated, and let them know that they contribute to the organization’s success.
Introduce Skill & Provide Context: Provide context, and explain the importance/relevance of the skill that you plan to practice. This will create staff buy-in, help them understand why this particular skill is critical, and how it can save a life.
Skill-Based Training: Create trainings that are realistic and skill-based. This will prepare lifeguards to know what to expect—and how they might feel—if an aquatic event were to happen. This will set them up for success and retain, improve, and employ skills and knowledge so that a lifeguard’s performance is maximized.
Debrief the Training: After you have completed the skill activity, debrief the training with your staff. This will allow your staff to address any difficulties they had, ask questions about anything they are unsure of, and brainstorm how they can improve next time.
Feedback from Lifeguards: At the end of each training, ask lifeguards for feedback, including asking them where they can use more support/practice/education. This will allow you to tailor your next training to the needs of your team.
Steps You Can Take
After reading through “Ongoing Training,” ask yourself the following questions:
- When was the last time my guards received training?
- Is the training that we are providing lifeguards realistic to what they may face in an emergency?
- When practicing rescues and on-deck care, are our lifeguards getting hands-on experience with real human bodies?
- How can we incorporate more opportunities for our lifeguards to practice their skills?
Based on your answers, develop a plan today on how you will make sure all lifeguards are getting realistic, ongoing training.
Key Links & Resources
Lifeguard In-Service Trainings: A Guide
Read additional guidance on how to implement robust in-service trainings at your organization.
Tips & Tricks for Realistic Lifeguard Training
Read additional guidance on how to create in-service trainings that are realistic for lifeguards.
Sample Training Topics
Download our sample in-service training topics that we encourage you to use and adapt to your training needs.
Sample Training Framework
Download our sample framework to assist with creating a structure for your trainings.